Attendees gather under a tent to listen to Michele Bachmann, who spoke via phone from D.C. (Josh Hafner/The Register)

After an early morning flight from Des Moines to D.C. in the wake of an announced debt agreement, Michele Bachmann told Iowans that she was preparing to vote against the agreement in Congress.

Unable to make a scheduled event in the parking lot of a Newton pizza restaurant, the Minnesota congresswoman spoke to supporters via telephone over her campaign’s P.A. system.

Attendees who braved the 90-degree heat huddled for shade under a Bachmann-branded canopy tent while campaign workers passed out bottled water.

“Let me ask you this question,” Bachmann asked through the speakers. “Do you want me to vote ‘No’ on raising the debt ceiling? Raise your hands.”

Slowly at first, but surely, a majority of the hands in the 30-person crowd went up.

Bachmann, unable to see the results, continued:

“I can’t see it, but if your raise of hands is like anything else across the country, it is a very strong ‘No, stop the insane, out-of-control spending.’ And so this afternoon, that’s exactly what I’m going to do. I’m bringing your voice … to the halls of Congress … to vote ‘No’ on raising the debt ceiling. Why? Because what we’re doing is giving President Obama a blank check to raise spending another 2.4 trilion dollars, potentially. The issue isn’t even about spending and what we’re going to cut and what we should prioritize. The issue is about giving him one more blank check.”

In closing the event, Kent Sorenson, the campaign”s state chair, urged attendees to pledge their support for Bachmann at the Ames straw poll on Aug. 13.

“We’re going to have entertainment for all ages,” he said. “Everything from petting zoos to Randy Travis singing for us at the straw poll.”

Cindy Dittmer, of Newton, was among the first to sign up with the campaign afterward.

“So far, she’s my gal,” said Dittmer. “My sister and I run three small businesses, and they are struggling because of the economy.”

Alice Strewart, Bachmann’s press secretary, said the candidate decided to fly east last night after a phone call with House leaders.

“It’s our expectation that the vote will be completed today and she’ll be back for events at the end of the week,” Stewart said.